Derby charity receive community funding

The Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance was formed in 2020 to directly respond to the needs of Derby residents struggling to cope with the demands of lockdown, but more than three years on and the charity has progressed to offering long-term solutions to food poverty.

Formerly part of Community Action Derby, the now independent registered charity supports local people and families with food provisions, signposting, education, and advice, and relies on the donations of individuals and businesses to continue its work.

National housebuilder, Miller Homes, whose East Midlands regional offices next to Pride Park are just minutes from Food 4 Thought’s base, has now backed the charity with a monetary donation, to be used to purchase food supplies and continue transporting food parcels across Derbyshire.

Paul Brookhouse, senior manager of Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance, said: “At a time when there is so much need to support people facing food insecurity, support like we have received from Miller Homes plays a vital role in helping us purchase items at a time when donations are lower. We really appreciate all support we receive and I thank Miller Homes for their support.”

The donation from Miller Homes was part of the developer’s annual Community Fund, where groups are invited to apply for funding directly from the housebuilder, which is open all-year round, with recipients announced twice yearly.

Miller Homes’ Community Fund is part of the company’s ethos of creating ‘a better place’ to live, supporting its neighbours in areas where the developer is based and/or building new homes. So far this year, the East Midlands region has received around 60 applications for funding.

Alastair Parsons, area sales director for Miller Homes East Midlands, said: “We have received an enormous number of applications so far for the Community Fund in 2023, which highlights how many charities and groups are in need of support due to the cost of living crisis among other factors.

“Miller Homes felt compelled to support as many groups as we could, and we’re pleased to be able to commit some of this funding to Food 4 Thought Alliance. They have been providing excellent community action work and a hugely appreciated service to residents across Derby who are struggling to feed themselves and their families both during and after the Coronavirus pandemic.

“We hope our donation to the group can go some way to helping them continue to deliver their mission statement as we aim to do the same by creating better places for people to live, in Derbyshire and across the East Midlands.”

Miller Homes has also supported several other charities and community groups in the East Midlands during this round of funding, including Friends of Ripley Nursery School, Bags of Blessings charity, and Bridge the Gap, who support children’s mental health.

Sports clubs in the East Midlands have also benefited from Miller Homes’ funding, including Chesterfield Triathlon Club, Melbourne Town Cricket Club, Kirby Muxloe Sports Village Club, and Groby Juniors Football Club.

For more information about Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance, please visit https://www.derbyfood4thoughtalliance.org.uk/about.

To learn more about Miller Homes’ Community Fund, or to apply for funding, visit https://www.millerhomes.co.uk/corporate/community-fund.aspx.